Reports said that Chord’s contract was expiring and the network had decided to cut him loose.
There were even official sounding news releases from studio execs and producers that all but sealed Overstreet’s fate on the show.
Related: Chord Overstreet leaving Glee – was he fired?
But now the network is backtracking - saying Chord will always be welcome on “Glee”, and that even though his contract will expire they expect, and WANT, the actor to continue with the series.
Some say that fan backlash caused the producers to rethink their actions from last week.
The official word from TVLine is,
“Chord’s option to be a series regular was just not picked up at this time. If Chord wants to appear on Glee, the choice is his. The Glee writers like his Sam character, and have plans to write for him. He and his reps have been told that he is welcome back to Glee, and everyone hopes he will show up on August 10 when filming begins.
It took Chord two years to become a regular - If he has a great season, which we expect he will, then he will become a regular like Harry, possibly as early as January.”
Last week when Overstreet’s contract issue came to light, it was announced that Darren Criss, who plays Blaine, and Harry Shum, who plays the character Mike, will return next season in a fulltime role.
Gleeks around the country took to Facebook and Twitter to show their support for the character, and perhaps that outcry was heard by executives.
It looks like the new theme for Glee will be to keep McKinley High teachers Will Schuester, played by Matthew Morrison, and Sue Sylvester, played by Jane Lynch, but rotate through new student cast members as they graduate and leave the show.
A variety of cast members will then take part in the summer Glee Tour each year.
Producers have also hired six new writers for next season in an effort to keep the dialog and stories fresh. They also want to develop new main stories and wrap up existing story-lines as cast members exit the show.
That could be a hard sell for dedicated fans as most like the series because of the particular cast of characters. If writers start bringing in new students each year it may be difficult for viewers to grow comfortable with all the change.
Time will tell.
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